Max Crawford has reached the point in life where he's starting to think about settling down. Unfortunately, he's always been a little awkward when it comes to socialinteractions, and working from home doesn't help. He spends so much time alone,painting beautiful, historically accurate model trains that half of Whitford has begun to joke that he may be a serial killer. Not exactly prime husband material.
Tori Burns has found happiness in Maine, thanks in large part to her shifts at the Trailside Diner. She likes the work, and she loves the local gossip. When shy, geeky Max Crawford becomes a regular, she's intrigued. When she finds out he's in the market for a wife, she's fascinated…and determined to help.
Molding Max into every woman's dream turns out to be much easier than expected. But has Tori's plan worked a little too well? As she turns his comfortable life all sorts of upside down, she'll have to find a way to show just how she's fallen for him…the real him.

Max is the town recluse. Once a week he hosts a gathering at his house so the guys in town can watch sports without their wives complaining, but otherwise he doesn’t get out much. When he decides it’s time to find a wife, at the suggestion of a friend, he makes an effort to go into town more to look for one. Tori waits on him at the local diner and takes him under her wing when he strikes out with a random woman. She offers to help him become dateable. She doesn’t want to change him, just help him learn to navigate the dating field.

They quickly become friends. Which would be great, if there wasn’t an underlying attraction between them. It isn’t long before they both want more than just platonic friendship. While Max is looking for forever, Tori wants nothing to do with marriage. Her parents’ bitter divorce after 25 years of – seemingly – solid marriage has soured her on ever trying it herself. After all, if her parents can go from polite and kind to angry and venomous overnight, what’s to say she couldn’t as well?

I really liked Tori. She’s not afraid to speak her mind. Her sense of humor is quirky and aligned perfectly with Max’s. Aside from her hang-ups about marriage, she was grounded and focused. She was settled and not afraid to work hard. Her fear of ending up like her parents was a genuine, real thing. It was easy to see why she struggled considering the way they acted and how she was constantly put in the middle. The foundation if her life was rocked when they decided to divorce, but it was the way they acted and the hateful things they said that caused the deepest cracks.

Max is socially awkward and doesn’t navigate society well. His job in model train restoration doesn’t help since he spends the majority of his time in his basement. Tori pushes him out of his comfort zone, but she doesn’t try to change him. She thinks he’s perfect as is, she just wants him to get out and live a little. She really understood Max. His quirks didn’t bother her, in fact she found them endearing.

I love Max. He’s shy, sweet, mildly OCD and unlike any hero I’ve read before him. I wouldn’t exactly call him beta, but he’s definitely quirky and, yes, adorable. He felt comfortable with Tori right away, which was strange for him as it usually takes him a long time to warm up to someone. He felt protective of her, and found himself thinking about her all the time. It was great how they instantly connected and fell into each other’s lives.

The town and Kowalski clan provide a good back drop for the story. Max has made friends in town, even if he doesn’t realize it. Tori has a strong place in the community and a deep friendship with Hailey, the local librarian. The interactions outside their relationship really immersed me in the story. It was like I was there, living the story with them.

I am really sad to see the end of the Kowalskis. These novels have provided hours of entertainment, fun and drama. It’s kind of like saying goodbye to old friends.

Hailey Genest has seen most of her friends marry and have babies, and she's happy for them, but it was a lot easier before she hit forty. She's spent her entire life in Whitford, Maine, and if she hasn't found her Prince Charming by now, she has to accept she's probably not going to. When a new friend suggests they go on an adventure and embrace being single, Hailey agrees.
Surviving in the woods is game warden Matt Barnett's idea of a relaxing vacation. But when he meets two women in need of help, he leads them back to safety—a task that proves more fun than expected, thanks to a certain hot blonde. He can't resist pushing her buttons, even though she's made it clear that the rugged, outdoorsy type just isn't for her.
Hailey is glad to see the back of her tempting-tour-guide-slash-pain-in-the-ass. When he shows up in her life again, she's determined to avoid him, no matter how good he looks in his uniform. But that's easier said than done in Whitford, especially when he's renting the house right next door….
74,000 words

Hailey is a girly-girl who wants a sophisticated, business professional type as a mate. She’s been dating men from the city who like to go to the symphony and wear suits to work. When she and a friend decide to do an “outdoor singles” thing and end up lost, she has to ask herself “what in the world was I thinking?”. When a scruffy, kind of smelly guy comes to their rescue when they get lost, it’s just another reminder that Hailey is looking for love in the wrong place. Until she sees Mr. Scruffy all cleaned up. Turns out her erstwhile rescuer isn’t too bad all cleaned up. Matt is the new game warden in town and her new neighbor. If only he wasn’t so into the outdoors..and dirt.

Matt was burned once already by a woman who was more embarrassed by him than anything else. Which is too bad, since Hailey is every sexy-librarian fantasy he’s ever had. But he went down that road once already and he has no desire to go there again. Except she really seems to love his dog, and she’s easy to talk to. And they have chemistry. Like, off the charts chemistry. Matt wants to believe Hailey is different than his ex, but he can’t see how a girly-girl is the woman for him.

Matt and Hailey were opposites who learned to compromise to be together. In the beginning both had their doubts about a relationship. Matt figured Hailey was too rigid for him and Hailey figured Matt was too much the mountain man. Hailey was the first to give in and realize there was more to Matt than a scruffy face and muddy boots. It took Matt a big longer – and boy was that fun – but he couldn’t deny how wonderful Hailey turned out to be. Their friendship was well developed and made the segue into lovers easier to believe.

The town and its inhabitants made a nice backdrop for the story. It was good to see both Mike and Hailey with friends and interests outside each other.

This is the type of fun, fresh, flirty story I’ve come to expect from this series. Stacey has made the Kowalski’s and all their friends feel like family. I can’t wait for the next installment.

4.25 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort—better known as the Northern Star Lodge—while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Maine for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own.

As the daughter of the lodge’s longtime housekeeper, Katie Davis grew up alongside the Kowalski kids. Though she’s always been “one of the guys”, her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it’s clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is.

Katie’s been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she’s afraid it’s too late. Giving her heart to a man who can’t wait to leave town is one sure way to have it broken. But Josh keeps coming up with excuses not to leave—could it be that everything he’s ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?

This novel continues the family saga of the Kowalskis and for many readers, especially fans of Shannon Stacey’s stories, this is a welcome addition to the series. It features two people who have been a part of the Northern Star Lodge since the beginning of their lives, and for Katie and Josh, the Lodge is as much a part of their lives as their connection as best friends. Yet for Josh, his connection to the Lodge is one that has been forced by the abandonment of his siblings, leaving him no choice as he sees it, and binding him to the Lodge for the foreseeable future. His anger and bitterness run deep.

By contrast, Katie is a woman who has loved Josh for years–friendship kind of love, to be sure, but way more than that as well. Yet the man is clueless and some of the wit and humor in the narrative come from friends who comment on his cluelessness to one another as well as Katie. It’s almost as if Josh is so wrapped up in his own grief and bitterness over what he perceives as being a future out of his reach that he doesn’t really “see” Katie.

This is a wonderful story of relationships on many levels, emotional boundaries that widen for some and are locked in place for others. It is about family–a family that includes lots of honorary members and those who have been critical to the health of all the Kowalski siblings. It is a story of forgiveness–as in the long-running feud between Rosie and Andy–as well as allowing the reader to see the vulnerability and sensitivity of men who are not always open about their feelings but who dare to open themselves up to family and those they trust. The friendship that Katie shares with Hailey is hilarious in so many ways, especially their back and forth conversation about “salacious” activities in one another’s lives, a conversation that runs throughout the book. I couldn’t suppress the chuckles on a few occasions over this one.

There’s so much to like about this book that not only has to do with this novel itself as well as enjoying the continuing stories about this family. There is an unmistakable energy level throughout that is always in Stacey’s stories, a verve and vitality that makes it a true “feel-good” story and one that brings forth sighs of deep satisfaction from readers when they reach the last page. The only “downer” is that the story ends at all. Surely we’re not incorrect to look forward to a book about the lone female in the Kowalski pack, hints of which were quietly present in the conversation Josh had with his sister who has been absent from Whitford for many years. And who might her swain be? Stay tuned . . . as they say. It’s a book that romance fiction readers shouldn’t miss. I, for one, am delighted to have read it.

Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort—better known as the Northern Star Lodge—while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Maine for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own.

As the daughter of the lodge's longtime housekeeper, Katie Davis grew up alongside the Kowalski kids. Though she's always been "one of the guys", her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it's clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is.

Katie's been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she's afraid it's too late. Giving her heart to a man who can't wait to leave town is one sure way to have it broken. But Josh keeps coming up with excuses not to leave—could it be that everything he's ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?

I’ve been anxiously awaiting this story. Josh and Katie have been best friends for years. If Katie feels a little more than friendship toward Josh, well, that’s her secret to keep. Except the entire town seems to have noticed. Everyone, that is, but Josh. Until she’s forced to move in with him to help care for her mom – the housekeeper of Josh’s B&B – who has been really sick. Then he comes upon her in her pajamas and realizes she’s not just one of the guys. She’s all woman.

He struggles with how to react now that he’s seeing his best friend in a new light. As much as he wants to act on his attraction to her, he knows he shouldn’t. Because for the first time in his life he has the opportunity to leave home and discover himself. Katie is happy staying where she is. She feels no need to roam. So despite her feelings for Josh, she knows nothing can develop between them. Too bad their hearts don’t understand that…

Josh is understandably resentful that his family left him to run the lodge without asking if that was what he wanted to do. As a young man he had dreams of traveling, having a family, building a house, etc. All of those went out the window when his dad died and his siblings left him in charge of the lodge. In the previous book, he finally fessed up to his family that he was unhappy stuck at the lodge and they agreed to work it out with him. They agreed to consider either selling, or getting back on their feet financially so they could hire a manager.Josh is glad to finally have gotten it off his chest, but he can’t help but feel like nothing has changed. He’s still stuck at the lodge taking care of things while his siblings aren’t around. He knows that isn’t really fair, since there isn’t a lot anyone can do at that moment since their financial situation isn’t the best. That doesn’t change how he feels, though.

It was good that Josh’s feelings didn’t automatically change once he had the talk with his family. He tried not to feel sorry for himself or be angry all the time, but it was hard. I felt that was very realistic. His anger was justified and so was his resentment. I also understood his conflicted feelings about the lodge. He loved it at the same time he hated it. It stood for his family and was home, but it was also an albatross hanging around his neck.

I really loved Katie in this story. She’s a girl-next-door type. She loves sports and rarely puts on anything besides jeans and t-shirts, but she’s still a woman. When Josh finds her in her boxers in the kitchen, I totally cracked up. That was the first time he noticed she was a woman and not just his best friend. Her feelings for Josh were just as conflicted as his were for the lodge. She loved him and wanted to be with him, but more, she wanted him to be happy. She understood he was going to leave town as soon as he was able and she didn’t want to hold him back. Sure, part of her wanted him to stick around, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen. I liked her independence and practicality.

I didn’t love their romance as much as I expected to. The bulk of the book centered more around Josh’s feelings for the lodge and his conflicted feelings about his situation than their romance. At the end, I wasn’t as invested in them as I expected to me. I also felt Josh’s actions at the end were…not as well put together as they should have been. I don’t want to spoil the story, but I will say I wanted more from him to explain the way it ended.

Still and all, this was a solid read. I’ve come to expect light, witty stories from Stacey and she delivered again.

4 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren’s son…

The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan’s door every day to work off his crime.

With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can’t deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

It seems that I have read a number of romances recently where the “second chance at love” plays prominently in the story line. Yet it is a theme that seems to keep on grabbing readers–perhaps because it is so relevant to the way many people live–making choices that take them away from important people in their lives only to discover that those very people are essential to their future happiness. So it is in this story. However, there is one critical difference. The hero never really told the heroine about his feelings. They didn’t date in high school or go out with each other after graduation. Lauren was in love with Dean Carpenter and determined to be a part of his life, the wife he loved, and the mother of his child. Yet that dream didn’t last, and now Ryan Kowalski is again front and center in Lauren’s life, simply because she has a teen son who is troubled and who is using destructive actions to work out his inner confusion. Add in the fact that Dean and Ryan used to be life-long best friends, but no more. The reason for their fall-out is not mentioned much–in fact it is just almost spoken of in passing. So the reader will have to be aware and observant to figure out the source of Dean’s deep anger toward Ryan.

Most contemporary romance fiction is set in life-like settings, but this story really reeks of reality. A single mother working in a single agent insurance office, trying her best to save enough money for a new set of snow tires (it’s Maine, after all), worrying about a non-communicative 16 year old son, and then faced with nearly $1,000 of damage because her kid went on a destructive bender to ease his inner growing pains. As one gets further into the story it is evident that this young lad had lots to be upset about, but this was not the way to relieve the stress. The way Ryan works out the issues so that Lauren’s son can work off the debt was not only a great kindness in light of his juvenile behavior, but also taught this teen the value of taking pride in one’s labor, something his dad should have been teaching him instead of using him to babysit his half-sibling so dad and stepmom could play every weekend.

There’s lots to be aware of in this story, lots of family and good friendship, lots of stressful relationship dynamics, lots of finding love the second time around. There’s misunderstanding, anger, a sense of betrayal . . . all the stuff that seems destined to plague lovers. But all in all, it is a dynamic love story that will hold the reader’s interest and be marvelously entertaining as well. It is also the second in a trilogy of novels about the Kowalski brothers and will leave you wanting more.

Books Reviewed This Year

Reading Challenges

Rowena's 2020 A-Z Reading Challenge: 2 /26

8%

Rowena's 2020 Goodreads Challenge: 31 /52

60%

Rowena's 2020 New to Me Challenge: 4 /15

27%

Around the Web

Disclaimer

Book Binge is offered (and accepts) review copies of books from authors, publishers, publicists and other third party distributors. For arguments sake, you may assume all books reviewed on this site were sent for review by one of the above mentioned (though the truth is probably somewhere closer to 70%).

That we accept books from outside parties has no bearing on the outcome of the reviews. We are, and always have been, completely honest in our opinions – whether positive or negative.

We also have an Amazon Associates account. This means we earn a small referral fee (very small) if you purchase products via the Amazon links on our site.

Archives

Meta

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRejectRead More

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.